Gerd Kische

Defender Gerd Kische was a member of the East German (GDR) football team that beat Poland 3-1 at the Montréal Olympics to become the first German team to win an Olympic gold medal. From 1971-80 he played 59 international matches with the East German national team, and also 12 more with the Olympic team. He was also on the East German team that surprisingly beat West Germany 1-0 in the 1974 World Cup.

In his youth Kische played with BSG Einheit Teterow and BSG Turbine Neubrandenburg, but as an adult he only played with Hansa Rostock in 182 Oberliga matches, scoring 11 goals from 1970-81. In 1981 he married former athlete Barbara Wieck, and when that news broke, the East German Ministry of State Security (Stasi) was not amused about his refusal to work with them. He was subsequently suspended from the national team and also from Hansa Rostock by the GDR football association.

Kische then studied economic engineering and worked with the Rostock housing construction combine, after re-unification working with several construction companies in Hamburg and Rostock. He also went back to Hansa Rostock to become vice-president and later president. From 1993-95 he was the sports manager of the club.